Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, November 1916 - December 1916 - Part 3

(15)

[*OMIT - across whole page*]
But here I mustn't keep on yarning away to
you my dear old lady - like the brook
that goes on for ever - to just come
to me & sit my knee & give me such
a big love & a kiss. I suppose Gagy &
the wee laddie will soon be together
I could not give then "gallopy" any
more the poor wee pets. Didn't we
used to have fun playing with them?
Now bye again dear old sweet
sunshine lady. God bless &
keep you safe with the dear wee
pets always. Millions of love &
Kisses from Dida Don.
P.S. Eric Walker is still away
ill. But I don't think he is very
bad Charlie Elliott is still at
home I think.
 

P.S. Merry Xmas &
Happy  - such a happy
New Year dearie when
Daddy comes home
[*English Scottish & American
Lombard St
England*]
DONATED RECORDS LIST
3297
3rd Series
 

France
12/11/16
My dearest Katie,
You are just a darling. There
are two more letters just arrived dated
the 24^th & 27^th September. Aren't you the
darling - the best in the world? Havent  I
just got all the boys beaten to have
a dear old Sunshine lady like that
to cheer me up. I got two cards from
the wee people with Baabys Belle's writing on
the address but no letter at all from
her & she promised in the spunky little one
I got last that she would send a

continuation in the next mail. I had a
long interesting letter from old Jim
Stephen who is up at Bendigo. It
cheers me a lot to know the boys speak
well of me - because I do "sort" them
up you know. But I like them all
the same & try to do what I can for
them too. I haven't got my Xmas
present yet. I suppose it will
come along in due time though. I
see the Germans have sunk our
Mail in the "Arabia" I wonder
if you will know which letters

2
of yours were in that & tell me the news
in later ones. I suppose the papers
will tell you the date. What a blessing
Mrs Duigan didn't come in that boat?
Although all the passengers I hear were
saved. I will give the packages that
Fogey's  Florey's money was ^given you to buy to some poor
soldier man if you let me know
what they are. Our boys get a good
lot of things from the Australian
Comforts fund under Mr Brudden.
He used to spend a lot of money on
giving the boys extra coffee in the
cold mornings up at the old place
If you addressed your little letter to
Geordie at Salisbury Plain I guess it
will wander round "some" before he gets
it. His address is "15^th Field Ambulance
A.I.F. France" that will find him
good. Did I tell you in my last 
letter that I had had a little note from
him since I have been here telling
me he was well & that he had been

3
called to attend a wounded officer who had

been blown up by a big shell & had his leg
broken & was badly shaken & that the

officer turned out to be Capt. H. Barker one
of the old 7^th Boys & Lyn's Cousin. I found
out about poor McLaren for you in la my
last letter. I have written to Mr Roberts
about young Gray. He was wounded in
that charge on the 19^th July near Fromelles.
A wounded man reported that he saw him
lying wounded. We were not sure at
the time if he had been carried in. Later
we searched the Hospital Records &

could find no trace - so he was reported
wounded & missing. Later still a
patrol in the dark one night was out
& searched some of the Bodies who
could not be brought in for means of
identification & young Gray's papers
were brought in. From this it is
almost certain that he died of
his wound & his body still lies

4
in no mans land. It will be hard
to tell his poor mother this but the
boys did all that was possible in the
way of bringing wounded & dead in

& for weeks after used to risk their
lives night after night on this horrible
job of searching the poor dead bodies
for papers or for identification discs
so that we might let the people know
for certain or as nearly certain as
possible in the circumstances the fate
of these boys. I have a little further

news of Pte Jenkin the Nyah Boy
you mentioned in your last letter.
In the Times of the 9^thInst. it was
reported that he died of wounds whilst
a prisoner of war in Germany. In his case
he was one of those who risked their
lives with the utmost daring to rescue
wounded & was ^ evidently shot by the Germans
close to their own trenches whilst so
doing & then carried in to their
lines. He was one of a lot more

5
who behaved magnificently in this way.
For a few only of the most conspicuous
we got medals. It was impossible to get
more though we sent a lot of names in.
And so Rory is an old married man
by now. What will Liz look like when
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I expect
when the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
& xxxxx will make it all up with

them. Yesterday General Sir Douglas
Haig. the Commander in Chief of the
British Army came along to see
my boys. Today we had Church Parade
under Col Holden the Chief Chaplain
in Australia. He is going back to
Australia shortly. He said he would
righ ring you up. He reckoned I
looked the picture of health as I do
so he will give you a good account
of me. General Birdwood came
along to the parade & after it presented
medals to the boys who had won then made
a speech & watched then march past

6

Col. Duigan is still away on leave.

but will be back shortly. Bert Layh

is still blooming getting fatter than

I am & flirting with the French girls

something scandalous. You needn't

tell his wife that though. Genl Birdwood

was very nice. Much nicer to me than

he has been to me since that row

in Egypt so perhaps he is coming

round again. You know Did I tell you that I advised

against an attack being made on a trench

& McCay wouldn't make it without

taking any responsibility. Then when

we were relieved the new Brigade

tried to do the job & lost a lot of men

& did no good at all. I think we can
take it all right if they let me do the job
in my own way & give me a little
assistance in getting stores up.

What did Rory think of our wee pets
Katie dear? Can the wee pets they truly &

really write all by themselves or have you

P.T.O.
 

 

to hold their little hands still.

Gagy Dhurach seems to write quite nicely.

Tell the little pets I was so pleased

with the lovely cards they sent me.

Tell them that Dida wants to come home

such a big big lot & he loves his two dear

bairnies but there are some good little

girls & boys here & their mummies too

& the wicked old Kaiser & his men wants

to come in & Kill them all & hiss them

up in the fire & Dida & all his soldier

men must stop here for a little

longer & prevent them from hurting

the poor things. Ask them don't they

think that is what Dida & his soldiers

ought to do? They would all love to come

back as quick as quick can be to all

their dear ones but when the old Kaiser

had killed all the nice people here he

might come out to Australia to kill or harm

all the nice people there so it is better

to fight him over here until he is killed

or is too scared to fight any more

& then we will lock him up in gaol

for ever & ever.

Tell the wee laddie I was so pleased to hear

he had prayed that God may end the war

If all the little boys & girls pray like that God

will hear & make the old Kaiser afraid

to fight any more & we will catch him.

Bye now my lovliest darling. This is my

last bit of paper just now. I can get

some more in the morning though

for there are ships here. Millions &

millions of love & kisses to you & my

own wee darling pets from your very own

Dida Don

 

 

France

14/11/16

Dearest one,

I haven't the least

scrap of news to tell you but I

must just have a little loving talk

with you. I hope you voted for

conscription. You will see by the

cutting I send you of what will

be in store for us if Germany

wins this war - Now or a generation

hence. Fancy their poor kids being

taught to hate people like that.

There is a book called the "Retreat

for Mums" you should try & get. I've not

seen it. But it is by an English

officer who fought in the early part

of the war. He says, according to

extracts I've read in a paper that

in one Belgian Village he & his

men saw the poor little naked

body of a girl about 5 years old

hanging up on a hook in a Butcher's

shop with its poor little hands

cut off & bayonet wounds in the

body. How anybody can remain